Lightning Strikes
by fanficaddicted
Summary: This was written as a challenge for another site.  A short one shot.  Ranger and Steph have a falling out and a run in with mother nature.  Includes lyrics from the song Memories of Us by Keith Urban.


Challenge: July 2007 – Lightning Can Strike the Same Place Twice

Title: Lightning Strikes

Author: Heidi (ranger.babe/fanficaddicted)

Rating: PG, probably not even that

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no profit sadly.

Spoilers: Mild through LMT

**Lightning Strikes**

It was exactly 6:03 PM when I ran out my mother's front door, threw myself into my Escape and used it to make mine. I had gone to Sunday dinner at my parents' like usual but when Grandma asked why Ranger wasn't with me I took the coward's way out and ran…again. I didn't know what to say. I _couldn't _say it. _I blew it._

An hour later as I traveled south-east along a rain coated road away from Trenton the radio started to crackle and hiss. The sound of Fergie reminding me that _big girls don't cry _faded away to static. The only other sound in the car was the rain splashing on the road under my tires. I pressed the scan button and waited as the display scrolled through every station on the dial without stopping, over and over again. The air was thick with fog rolling in from the sea and a light rain was falling. I suppose that makes for bad radio reception. As I reached the coastal road the rain stopped falling and finally, the radio picked up a station loud and clear.

"Good evening Jersey Shore. Thanks for listening to WSAP, your favorite station for love songs _all night long_. Grab that special someone and curl up on this rainy Sunday night. We'll provide the soundtrack."

I let out a long suffering sigh. "All love songs all the time, why me?" I asked the empty car. I pressed the search button again and groaned when the dialed resettled on the same station. I guess love songs it is. The music began and my stomach sank. It was _our_ song.

_I'm gonna be here for you baby  
I'll be a man of my word  
Speak the language in a voice that you have never heard  
I wanna sleep with you forever  
And I wanna die in your arms  
In a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm_

I tried to focus on the yellow lines in the road, on the lightning flashing in the distance, anything but the song and the words that invaded my ears. I didn't _want_ to hear love songs, especially _this _song. I didn't think I could bare it. But then why couldn't I bring myself to reach up and turn the radio off?

_And I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you  
And I'll earn your trust making memories of us_

Shit. I blinked quickly to try to keep the tears from falling. I thought of Grandma setting Blackie a place at the dinner table. How she covered his ears so his feelings wouldn't be hurt when my Dad said he was dead. It was one of so many hysterical Grandma moments, but even that didn't work. The memories came flooding back along with a wave of warm tears. I opened my window and let the cool, damp air hit my face. Ranger had earned my trust by being the best person I've ever known. I trusted him from the moment I met him. I never could explain why, I just did. But I couldn't give him the same in return. I couldn't be the person he deserved. I blew it; I got scared and ran away.

My thoughts were dragged back to the present as I entered an area of quaint shops and restaurants. It was just after Labor Day and the shops were all closed. Why had I decided to come _here_ of all places? I certainly wouldn't escape memories of Ranger here. _That's exactly wh_y I realized as I pulled into a parking space facing the sea. I didn't want to forget Ranger, not one moment we ever spent together.

_I'm gonna be here for you from now on  
This you know somehow  
You've been stretched to the limits but it's alright now  
And I'm gonna make you this promise  
If there's life after this  
I'm gonna be there to meet you with a warm, wet kiss_

_And I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you  
And I'll earn your trust making memories of us  
I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you  
And I'll win your trust making memories of us_

I was parked in a public lot with a great view of the ocean. It was just after 7:30 on a dreary Sunday night. Though it wasn't yet dark, there was not a soul in sight. The rain was no longer falling and the fog had lifted some but the dark sky still looked angry and threatening. I saw bolts of lightning out over the sea every so often. I wasn't sure if the storm was coming in or going out to sea.

I had been here once before but it was a special memory for me. Ranger and I had stopped here one night over the summer. We were headed back to Trenton after a take down in Atlantic City and somehow on the ride home we had ended up here. This wasn't the usual way home, but Ranger decided to take the scenic route for some reason.

We had parked here then walked down the street a ways and had dinner at a clam shack. I got a chocolate-vanilla-swirl soft serve cone before we left and ate it as we walked back to the truck hand in hand looking in the shop windows. It was one of the only times it felt like Ranger and I were actually a normal couple. We had spent most of the five months since we got together working or eating and hanging out at home, either on the 7th floor or at my apartment. The only place that we went out to as a couple was my parents' house on Sundays. That never really bothered me though, that we didn't do more things that real couples did. After all, neither one of us lived a normal life, why would we be normal together? We didn't work regular nine to five jobs and eat dinner every day at six like most people I know.

I smiled at the memory. I just remember feeling happy and carefree, eating ice cream and window-shopping, holding hands, almost like we were on vacation. It was easy to forget that Ranger was carrying two guns and a knife and that we had just taken down a rapist. A storm had rolled in as we got back to the truck. We just sat there together for hours talking, cuddling and watching the storm rage around us. It was wonderful. Then my Stephanie Plum luck struck, or more precisely, lightning. A bolt of lightning struck a tree next to where we were parked and sent a huge limb crashing down on top of the truck. Lucky for us we were in the truck and were unharmed but unlucky for Ranger, another black shiny car went to car heaven.

We had done pretty well in our relationship overall, I thought. We even communicated despite me being handicapped in that area. Then one night, I fell back into my old unhealthy pattern of behavior. We had a disagreement over Ranger wanting me to carry the tracker all the time. I yelled, grabbed my things and stormed out his door. That was Tuesday and Ranger had been scheduled to leave for the Miami office for a week that night. I assume he went. I hadn't seen or heard from him since. My heart squeezed in my chest and the tears came again as I stared out at the storm rolling in. How could I walk away from him over something so stupid? Why couldn't I be a better person and wear the damn tracker? He only wants to keep me safe because he loves me.

I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and looked at it. I should call him. But what if he's having dinner with Julie or in a meeting or something? I should just give him his space, talk to him Tuesday when he gets back. I dropped the phone back into my handbag and was caught off guard when a set of headlights appeared in the parking lot.

My heart stopped dead and I sucked in a breath when I saw a black Porsche Turbo park four spaces away from me.

Ranger put the car in park and turned my way. He looked as surprised as I felt. I sat there stunned for about 10 seconds and then before I knew it I was out of the car and running toward him. He was out of the Turbo and heading my way. I leapt into his open arms and wrapped myself around him. Ranger held me tight against him and pressed his cheek against the side of my head.

"I'm sorry," I said softly unable to hold back the emotion that shook my voice.

"Shhhh" he said rubbing my back, bringing the other hand up to cradle my head to him. We stood that way for a few minutes before all of a sudden the sky opened up. We both pulled back a bit startled and looked up at the rain that was pouring down on us. We looked at one another and both smiled.

"I guess the storm is rolling in, not going out" I said.

"I think you're right, Babe," Ranger said with a chuckle.

He pulled me to him again and brought his mouth to mine. His mouth was warm against the cool rain on my lips. With that one, long kiss we said it all. I love you; I don't want to be without you anymore.

A loud clap of thunder had us climbing into the Turbo for cover. Ranger grabbed a blanket from the back and we sat huddled together watching the storm like we had once before.

"Let's head home, Babe. I'll have someone pick up the Escape and drive it back to Trenton. I don't want to spend another hour and a half away from you," he said pushing a wet curl from my face.

"Sounds good to me," I said leaning in for another kiss.

A bright flash and a sizzling sound startled us apart. I turned and looked out the passenger window just in time to see a tree, the _very same tree_ that dropped the limb on Ranger's truck, topple over. Right onto my Escape!

I sat there mouth hanging open in shock. "That's not supposed to happen!"

"I guess lightning _can_ strike the same place twice, Babe" Ranger whispered into my ear wrapping his arms around me from behind. "Well just have them bring a flat bed to pick up the Escape" Ranger said with a soft chuckle against my neck.

"Let's get out of here before lightening decides to prove that it can strike the same place three times" I said.

_The end_

_A/N – This is a challenge issued by an Plum fanfic group. Hope you enjoyed!  
_


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